There’s a bakery in DC that makes granola called “hippie crack.” It’s amazing. So amazing, in fact, that we had bags of it as favors at our wedding.

But the main reason we had it as a favor is because it had significance for us as a couple. In one of the first conversations I ever had with my husband, I mentioned that one of my favorite things in DC was the hippie crack granola.

A couple months later, he bought a bag of it for me as a gift for my birthday and left it outside my front door with a note wishing me happy birthday. That gesture wasn’t even about the granola (as much as I love it!) – it was special to me because I felt known.

He had clearly paid attention to my likes and dislikes, and it showed me that he cared. It wasn’t a grandiose gesture but it was incredibly thoughtful, and I did agree to go out to dinner with him when he asked me out the next day!

When you know your audience, it shows. They feel known and enjoy your event so much more for that reason, because it’s clear that you have been thoughtful in the planning. When you DON’T know your audience and just wing it without identifying the primary group of people attending your event, they can feel it.

It’s kind of like the time someone took me to a dinner buffet with Elvis impersonators singing Christmas songs. I don’t like buffets, and I don’t enjoy Elvis impersonators. So. #AWKWARD. This person clearly did not know me – or just didn’t pay attention to my likes and dislikes – or would never have taken me there.

The moral of the story? Don’t take your guests to see an Elvis impersonator at a dinner buffet when what they really want is a bag of granola and a thoughtful note. And if the dinner show and buffet is their thing, by all means take that into consideration when planning and don’t give them something crunchy! Identify your primary target audience before you even begin planning your event and event communications so that you plan in a way that is meaningful – and makes sense – for that particular group.

If your target audience isn’t defined, you can’t make effective plans. Your target audience should also align with your primary event goal. For example: If your primary goal is to expand the reach of your organization, your target audience for the event should be much more broad than only your current staff or volunteers.

Answering this question is important because it will allow you to craft strategic and effective communications, as well as make logistical decisions that support your goal and make sense for your target audience. A target audience may include more than one group of people – as well as subsets for messaging – but your primary target audience needs to be clearly defined for your event.

I’ve included a simple exercise in the Pre-Planning Worksheet to help you identify your primary target audience. If you want some help thinking through that before you begin planning your event, feel free to email me at rebecca@rebeccawaldrop.com! I’d love to help you do that. Happy planning!